LOS ANGELES (October 29, 2007) – The Parents
Television Council™ released its annual ranking of the 20
most popular prime time broadcast television shows among
children ages 2-17, based on Nielsen Media Research
rankings. The PTC rated the shows from best to worst for
family viewing based on a comprehensive analysis of program
content and found an increase since last year in the
presence of family friendly programs, but noted that such
programs are exclusively reality and game shows. Of the 20
shows most-watched by children, only seven were scripted
series, and six of those appeared on the worst list. Fox’s
Family Guy
was named the worst program for young audiences.

“The PTC analyzed the 20 broadcast televisionshows children watch most and found the cleanest
content on reality and game shows. For the second year in a
row, Extreme Makeover:
Home Edition has been named the most
family-friendly series watched by children during prime time
on broadcast television. The fact that children are drawn
to programs like ABC’s
Extreme Makeover and game shows like Deal or No Deal
and Are You Smarter
Than a 5th Grader? proves that there
is market demand for family-friendly television programming.
Sadly that demand is still underserved,” said PTC President
Tim Winter.

“By contrast, the shows on the worst list
continually reach new lows when it comes to harsh language,
excessive violence and explicit sex. Programs like the
sci-fi drama Heroes,
that includes a comic book aspect, and animated shows like
American Dad
and Family Guy
may sound innocent enough, but they are serving up some of
the most inappropriate content on broadcast television that
kids are consuming. On NBC’s series Heroes, viewers
are introduced to a character who commits unspeakable acts
of violence and sexual deviance while under the control of
her ‘heroic’ alter ego. Meanwhile, Family Guy and
American Dad
put irreverence on parade on a weekly basis while
relentlessly breaking taboos with sexual content and cartoon
violence. Parents must be more aware of what is out there,
both in terms of what is good and what is bad for their
children.

“The broadcast networks see the same Nielsen
statistics that we do. They know full well how many
children are in the viewing audience, and they not only do
nothing to curb the high levels of inappropriate content,
but they actually encourage children to watch by saturating
earlier dayparts with endless promos. Television
advertisers must also step up to the plate and take greater
care when they make their sponsorship decisions,” Winter
concluded.

Using its traffic-light ratings system, the
PTC analyzed the 20 most popular prime time broadcast shows
among children, ranking the programs according to their
suitability for young viewers. Each series was rated as
suitable [green], questionably suitable [yellow], or not
suitable [red] for young audiences, and then ranked
individually from best to worst. PTC ratings are based on
an objective quantitative and qualitative analysis of the
frequency and explicitness of foul language, sexual content,
and violence present in each series. The PTC also takes
into consideration time slot, target audience, themes and
plotlines of each program it rates.

The 2007
Parents Television Council Ratings of the Top 20 Most
Popular Prime Time Broadcast TV Shows Watched by Children
Ages 2-17:

The Parents Television Council™ (www.parentstv.org®)
is a non-partisan education organization advocating responsible entertainment.
It was founded in 1995 to ensure that children are not constantly assaulted by sex, violence
and profanity on television and in other media. This national
grassroots organization has more than 1.3 million members across the
United States, and works with television producers, broadcasters,
networks and sponsors in an effort to stem the flow of harmful and
negative messages targeted to children. The PTC also works with
elected and appointed government officials to enforce broadcast
decency standards. Most importantly, the PTC produces critical
research and publications documenting the dramatic increase in sex,
violence and profanity in entertainment. This information is
provided free of charge so parents can make informed viewing choices
for their own families.

Parents Television Council,
www.parentstv.org, PTC,
Clean Up TV Now, Because our children are watching, The
nation's most influential advocacy organization, Protecting
children against sex, violence and profanity in
entertainment, Parents Television Council Seal of Approval,
and Family Guide to Prime Time Television
are trademarks of the Parents Television Council.